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https://github.com/pastcompute/efistrap
Bootstrap an EFI USB multitool that can be used to install Linux
https://github.com/pastcompute/efistrap
Last synced: 16 days ago
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Bootstrap an EFI USB multitool that can be used to install Linux
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/pastcompute/efistrap
- Owner: pastcompute
- License: gpl-2.0
- Created: 2023-12-24T08:52:17.000Z (11 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2023-12-26T04:39:19.000Z (11 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-10-03T12:23:48.604Z (about 1 month ago)
- Language: Shell
- Size: 22.5 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Objective
Create a bootable USB drive that has a simple, custom, easily modifiable Debian live system that can be used as custom rescue system or to further run `deboostrap`
## Note
This tool is for fairly simple cases, my itch to scratch was boot an EFI system fast to run `debootstrap` and/or other scripts with access to various EFI tools.
SysRescue, Kali, Parrot, or a Debian or Ubuntu live image are all worthy and more comprehensive tools.
## Included
- Debian Bookworm with a minimal set of packages and ssh server
- [rEFInd](http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/)
- [ZFS Boot Menu](https://github.com/zbm-dev/zfsbootmenu)
- [memtest86+](https://memtest.org/readme)
- [Shell_Full (legacy EFI shell)](https://github.com/tianocore/edk2/tree/UDK2018/EdkShellBinPkg/FullShell/X64)
## USB Drive Usage
- copy to the USB drive, any custom scripts you need to do work with after booting the target system
- dependening on the complexity, either use the ESP FAT32 partition (thus also accessible from Windows or MacOS) or the Debian ext4 partition
- boot to the EFI boot selection menu and boot the USB drive
- the USB drive will start rEFInd (depending on past use of the system and your USB drive)
- choose `Debian(USB)` from the rEFInd menu to boot to grub and Debian
- other EFI tools include:
- legacy Shell_Full.efi (because I was testing this on an older system)
- memtest86+
- ZFS Boot Menu (ZBM)
- the ESP FAT32 partition is mounted in the usual location, `/boot/efi`
- the booted Debian has a default NetworkManager setup which should hopefully find a DHCP address on the first ethernet, if any
## USB Creation
- it is recommended to run this in something like `screen` with logging enabled
- fetch the dependencies and any missing apt dependencies needed to complete the build
- insert a disposable USB stick
- run `lsblk` and verify the block device for your USB drive
- build the USB stick
- specify the block device for the USB drive, e.g. `/dev/sdb`
- this will wipe the boot block and make a new GPT with two partitions, a FAT32 EFI ESP and an ext4 for Debian
- when finished, the partitions on the stick are left mounted in case you want to debug or fine tune, along with proc, sys and dev bind mounts
- `/mnt/efistrap` is the ESP partition
- `/mnt/efistrad` is the Debian partition
- unmount it
- example sequence:
```
sudo ./apt_dependencies.sh
./get_dependencies.sh
sudo ./usb_create.sh /dev/sdb
sudo ./usb_eject.sh
```
## Customisation before build
- Change the default hostname at the top of `10_bootstrap.sh`
- Change the default passwords / user at the very end of `10_bootstrap.sh`
This could all be much more customisable but I haven't bothered as yet, to customise just edit the shell scripts directly. The installed package list is in [10_bootstrap.sh](/10_bootstrap.sh)
## Debugging
- Mount again using `sudo ./usb_create.sh mount /dev/sdb`
- Enter a chroot using `sudo ./usb_chroot.sh`
## Notes
- The script builds directly onto the target USB - including making kernel modules, etc. Your performance may vary...
- Only x64 EFI is supported
- At the moment the local directory `./dependencies` is created as the current user for fetching dependencies and is assumed writable
- By default this uses a local instance of apt-cacher-ng on port 8889 to cache packages for repeated builds (change port at top of `usb_create.sh`), this is left running as the local user who runs sudo, the pid file is in `apt-cache/pid`
- At the moment the local directory `./apt-cache` is created as the current user and assumed writable